The Carmichaels

by Natasha Ellison

Ten years ago, the youngest Carmichael child, Ottoline, disappeared, never to be seen again. No one knows where she went, no one knows if she’ll ever return, no one really knows anything at all.

In the small English town of Rahley, Johnny Hargreaves has waited his whole life for an epic adventure. So when he and his friends break into a mysterious base hidden in the woods surrounding their town, and meet a strange girl called Ottoline Carmichael, who went missing from Rahley ten years ago, Johnny quickly agrees to help with her seemingly impossible request.

Soon, Johnny and his friends find themselves entangled in Ottoline’s treacherous world, forcing them to question everything they thought they knew and embark on a mission that they will never be able to turn back from.

With time slowly running out and the fate of mankind in their hands, Johnny and his friends will have to keep their wits about them, because Ottoline Carmichael is supposed to be missing, and there are people in Rahley willing to do whatever it takes to ensure she stays that way.

Genres: Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 16, 2024

Reviews

[Loie☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Stranger Things, you'll LOVE this!
I really enjoyed how the story just develops almost straight away - it pulls you in and intrigues you from the first page.
The characters are likeable and believable; Ottoline is such a sassy queen I LOVE HER, and Dean is also such a silly sweetheart 🥰
For a teen author, Natasha has done really well. She's created a story that's engaging and interesting, and is overall fun to read. I finished this one in a day, so that's explanation enough of how captivated I was!
Perhaps a few adjustments in regard to punctuation and fluidity would make this book even stronger!
I'm really excited to see what else this young creative comes out with next!

[CrazyBookgirly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so fun to read!
And that cliffhanger… can’t wait for the next one!!!

[Eleanor Novotny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know if I missed something because all the other reviews are five stars, but this was… kind of a mess. I got it because it was supposed to be like Stranger Things, but it is so directly based off of it, like most of the characters can be directly tied to a character from the show, that the small bits that are different just make it confusing. And the writing was very strange with several weird seemingly made-up words and lots of weirdly written sentences that made reading it very clunky.

[Izzy Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh I DEVOURED this book! One sitting, I was so gripped!

Where to start? I love the dynamics between the friends, the plot is thrilling, very gothic! XD

Very Steven King, very 80s horror/science fiction vibes, I loved every second!

[Analisa Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book definitely gives Stranger Things vibes so if you are looking for something to read after you find out the Conformity Gate Theory is not real, give this a quick read. The storyline is pretty easy to follow and Dean definitely gives Steve Harrington energy. The point of views do get a bit confusing of who is telling the story because the chapters are very short. Some of the dialogue did not seem very realistic in super high crisis situations but I did like how all the characters never gave up. If you want a short read that reminds you of Stranger Things, pick this book up.

[Bookalicious-Inc · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25!

This was fun and fast paced! definitely gave stranger things vibes but more PG. If I was 13 I'd be obsessed with this. Nothing negative to say, I just wasn't super connected to the story, but I think this is perfect for middle schoolers and young teens, or if you just want something fun you can binge in under 2 hours. Solid read.

[Katherine Gray]

omg! stranger things x IT x percy jackson-style writing! teen fangirl me is SOLD!

i don’t read middle grade so i definitely wasn’t the right target audience but i can imagine ADORING this as a young teen. it’s bingeable and it’s funny and the plot rolls out smoothly. oh and we all know im a sucker for small town mysteries so what’s not to like

[Oriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book that I enjoyed very much. It was the first sci-fi I read and has made me want to explore the world of sci-fi more. If you liked stranger things you'll probably love this as it has a similar vibe. the characters are loveable (except Austin's mom I REALLY hate her- which I guess was the point) and act exactly how you'd imagine a group of awkward teenagers to act which is weirdly rare for books to have. Dean and Randy are literally the best characters. The plot was interesting and unique but I have to say I was a tad bit confused about the end of the book so I'm hoping there will be a sequel so we can figure out what happens in the end better. I also lived the writing because it was easy and funny making it a quick read which is exactly what I needed as I was in a reading slump. Overall great book

[Faith Fawcett · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Holy fricking moly

I didn’t read the blurb for this before going in so I genuinely went in with zero expectation. I was fully hooked from page 1! PAGE 1 GUYS!

The narrative voice in this is so strong, especially for a debut book, and I was so impressed with how easy it was to fall into the world and the situation. It’s like that feeling of talking to an old friend, you know?

Now, the ONLY reason that this isn’t completely 5 stars is because it did need a bit of a grammatical edit but developmentally, things were sound. You can tell that a lot of effort was put into this.

I will say that the ending has me dying for another book 😆 I don’t know if it’s a series but if it is, the sequel would yeet itself to first on my tbr!

So if you like a mystery plot line with comedic characters and the vibes of Stranger Things, PLEASE pick up this book!

[IReadalot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book SO MUCH. finished it in like a day. It was so stranger things vibes, but not overly copied. It was like the perfect amount. Idk how young authors are this good at writing. Like I could never lol. Even tho I've read like 100 books this year, I couldn't write one for my life. But thank you Natasha!! I loved it!! ❤️❤️🫶

[Ava-Marie Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you liked stranger things, you would probably enjoy this.

Good book, I enjoyed the stranger things vibes as after season 5 ended I was looking for a book that would remind me of it and it did not disappoint. Really well written for a debut teen author and I hope to read more in the future.

[Javi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dont know what to think right now. I have VERY mixed opinions about this book. Like, i think its pretty much a copy of stranger things, but in a book. Its good, but its also confusing. I get that the author is indie and everything, but im so confused right now.

[Stella Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so hooking! I could not put it down. Perfect for Stranger things fans mourning the end of the Netflix series. I love the found family trope and the fast-paced plot. I cant wait for Ms. Ellison to come out with the next book :)

[Jemima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. Loved the plot twists and likeable characters. Deans character was so fun!!! Would definitely recommend!!!!

[ashtynbybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

full review on my Instagram @ashtynbybooks ! Will update here soon

[Claire Rooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so great! I loved the characters dynamic with each other, if you haven’t read it already you should check it out!

[Dee Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this very much!!! Easy to keep up with and the best characters!

[Hannah Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay this book is a MUST. READDDD!!! i’ve seen all of stranger things 24 times (i know that’s nerdy but whatevs) so the 80s/sci-fi vibe is my comfort zone. this book captures it beautifully. if you’ve seen ST, you’ll notice the greatest references that made me so happy. i read this whole thing in a day because i couldn’t put it down. Ellison is for sure going places because she has such a talent for writing and captivating readers. i really hope there’s a sequel or even a series after this because this was truly a masterpiece. i read quite often so i’ve read everything from amazing to dnf, and this book is beyond amazing!🙌🙌🙌